Avoid these 203 dangerous phone apps to avoid online fraud

Digital Economy and Society Minister Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn warned mobile phone users against downloading those apps or even clicking any suspicious links sent to their phones as SMS, which could allow malware to be installed on their phones without their knowledge.

He said that his ministry and the National Cyber Security Agency (NCSA) have compiled a list of 203 apps identified by experts as malware with the potential to steal personal information and take control of the phone. The apps are for both iOS and Android phones.

A list of the 203 “dangerous malware” apps, compiled by the NCSA, is available at: https://shorturl.asia/pZX0U.

The ministry and the NCSA started publishing the malware list on their Facebook pages last year, the minister said and asked phone users to make sure none of those on the list were on their devices.

“Be careful about downloading any applications onto your phones. They may be dangerous malware, which can steal your personal information or take control of your phones remotely,” Chaiwut said.

He warned that money could be transferred out of the victim’s bank account through the mobile banking app on the phone, noting that many such cases have happened recently.

The minister also said that his ministry had coordinated with the operators of Android’s Play Store and iOS’s App Store to ensure that those malware apps are not allowed in their systems.

Chaiwut on Friday warned mobile phone users to think twice before clicking any links in short messages sent to them by someone posing to represent a credible organisation. The messages often made “too good to be true” offers like a quick loan or attempted to scare the victim by, for example, making a false warning about imminent account termination.

Some online criminals ask to become friends on the Line chat app. They offer fake employment or investment opportunities.